... if this race was good or not. I took it on as it had good ratings on Racecheck and it was also in my team's race calendar this year, but there were several areas where I unfortunately felt let down.

The pre-event registration and pre-amble emails from Suunto Cardiff Tri were excellent, with an easy-to-navigate website, and plenty of details about the course. I decided to register the day before the race, which was very straightforward, but there was no written race pack provided; course information was on a board (very crowded) on the plaza. The bike/run courses were on closed roads and self-explanatory, but there were no swim buoys in position in the Bay, so most people had no idea where they would be going. It was also not clear how transition would function - for the Olympic race, you had to rack in the morning and be clear of transition by 0615 - it would have been useful to have swim/bike/run exits labelled in advance for those of us wishing to recce! 

Less doom and gloom now (I was smiling at the finish after all!). The swim was glorious, although we did start late due to safety boats not being in position. A great open freshwater swim with minimal current, and a wave start reducing chance of carnage. The bike course was 3 laps, and I was worried about congestion on the course, but aside from a couple of near-misses and poor cycling ettiquette from other competitors, it wasn't too bad. The course is FAST, if a little boring, and you need to keep an eye out for potholes! The run course was 2 laps out-and-back (and short at 9km!), again a little boring, but a fabulous view over the Bay. There was only ONE water station on the whole route, at the run turnaround - not ideal, especially on such a hot day. 

The best bit about Cardiff though? The spectator support. Cardiff came out to support in the sunshine and they were amazing, lining practically the whole route. The support was so good, I feel guilty highlighting some of the other issues about this race! 

Cardiff Triathlon is a bit pricey, but it is a well-marshalled, well-supported course with chance of a fast time, a great medal and t-shirt and the opportunity to watch the Elite athletes racing on the same course. I stil can't decide how I feel about it - probably not one of my favourites... but I wouldn't say no to racing there again.